Hydrodynamic bearings of the form that are also known as swing pad bearings are mounted in such a way that they can move to permit the formation of a wedge-shaped film of lubricant between the relatively moving parts. Essentially the pad displaces through a swing-type motion about a center located in front of the pad's surface, and bearing friction tends to open the wedge. Examples of this type of bearing are seen in the Hall patent, U.S. Pat. No. 2,137,487. One of the difficulties in utilizing a swing pad as seen in the aforesaid patent revolves around the problem of lubrication between the support and the swing pad itself, and the difficulty of the pad in adjusting to varying loads due to stick slip. A further difficulty is that the viscous friction force is too small to cause sufficient movement of the pad for development of a wedge-shaped film for high load capability.